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During our conversations with exhibitors at kleine fabriek, we noticed that a lot of the brands are focused on the operation of their business. Working together, especially together with the retailers. Rosemarijn Hermans, sales manager at Tumble ’n Dry and Gsus Junior, endorses the strength of the ‘collective approach’. “We are sometimes compared with a sect because of how intensively we work as a team in order to get the best out of each other. This is also how we approach our customers.

The new mixed-up layout of kleine fabriek is highly appreciated and enables visitors to experience the fun side of shopping. Marc Janse from Mertex would have been presenting his luxury Jellycat soft toys in Object in the past, but now that he can boast de Bijenkorf, Big en Belg and Sissy Boy among his customers, he feels very much at home between the fashion brands. “We’re very pleased with the atmosphere and type of customers at kleine fabriek. Traditional shops are not enough. Paprika in Haarlem, for instance, where you can drink a cup of great-tasting coffee while admiring beautiful product presentations, is the way of the future. When I need something, I order it online. When I go shopping, I want to enjoy myself.”

The 20th edition of kleine fabriek, which took place last Sunday 18 January & Monday 19 January at the Amsterdam RAI, was chic, complete and future-proof. The graphic black-and-white design, the newly designed presentation area right in the entrance and the intuitive brand layout went down well with visitors, and the lectures were more popular than ever. The development of kleine fabriek from being a trade show to a complete children’s fashion platform of the future was broadly acclaimed by participants and visitors alike.

During the lecture ‘Children’s wear in the Netherlands, trends challenges and opportunities’, Wouter Geerts, Research Analyst at Euromonitor in London, painted a realistic picture of the children’s fashion sector on a global level. He provided ‘take-aways’ for the higher end of the sector in which kleine fabriek operates. Designer brands enjoy success with their junior collections, not least thanks to celebrities appearing in the media with their ‘mini me’ children dressed to a tee. Ethics and sustainability have proven to be solid added values in children’s fashion

Björn Agency is the perfect example of such a frontrunner when you think of ‘ethics and sustainability’. Frans Passchier and his sister Martine Passchier explicitly chose sustainable labels when they started their agency three years ago. “We know too much about this sector to not make that choice.” Frans, who previously worked in media consultancy, tells how he encountered a conservative market: “I once did a tour of shops, but that ended up being totally impractical! What we need is to be adaptive: to adapt with the times and make smart decisions based on information.

Take a look at our facebook page and Intagram for the first pics of last edition kleine fabriek, 18 & 19 January 2015. Mediapartner Prêt à Pregnant / Prêt à Mama had a pop-up studio during kleine fabriek discover all trend reports, styling report part 1 & 2 and of course the best dressed fashion moms!